At least six people have died and 129 remain missing after a passenger ferry carrying 243 people capsized in rough weather in Indonesia’s Java Sea.
The Virgo Transport 8 was travelling from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it lost contact with its operator at about 2am on Sunday, September 13.
Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said 108 people had been rescued, while six bodies had been recovered. The latest figures leave 129 people unaccounted for.
The vessel was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members, as well as 89 vehicles, according to Indonesian authorities.
The captain reportedly alerted the vessel’s operator that the ferry was beginning to list before communication was lost.
Rescue officials said survivors reported that the ship encountered severe weather, with waves reaching around 2.5 to 3 metres. Some passengers said waves entered the vessel before it overturned.
A passing helicopter later spotted the vessel overturned in the Java Sea.
Indonesia’s Transport Minister, Dudy Purwagandhi, said the ferry had capsized but had not initially sunk, contradicting early reports that the vessel had gone down. The ship was found floating upside down as rescue teams continued searching the area.
The ferry’s last known position was about 150 kilometres from Banjarmasin, the intended destination.
Indonesian authorities have mounted a major search-and-rescue operation involving the coastguard, navy, police, helicopters and civilian vessels.
One survivor, Rinto Arahab, described clinging to the ferry’s railings after it overturned before managing to move to a higher part of the vessel.
“I felt resigned,” he told Reuters, saying he could only pray for his safety.
Authorities have not yet established the precise cause of the accident.